Love Me Like That
by caitlinxo
Summary: Set during 3x22, Elena chooses a different Salvatore brother. Everything changes when she makes that final decision. * Delena *
1. Chapter 1

Set during the time when Matt kidnapped Elena, while everyone thought Klaus was dead, & she choose Stefan. Not in my version. I Don't Own Anything!

"I'm sorry, Stefan" I said as tears welled in my eye. I'd known my decision deep down for a few weeks now, but with the potential of both Salvatore brothers being on their death beds, I finally let it fully hit me.

As I hung up the phone, Matt asked me, "I keep driving?"

I let the tears fall, and I said "yes", with no hesitation.

I will always love Stefan, but when he left me, the irrevertable happened. The eldest Salvatore brother snuck it has in, and no matter what, I knew I'd never shake him. Stefan was with his friends, he had loved ones around him. Damon was fighting off his best friend and I refused to let him be alone during this. Also, I had some secrets he needed to know if this was going to be the last time I seen him.

Matt drove faster than I expected and we made it in record time, which I was more than thankful for. I barely let the truck come to a full stop before I was running for the storage facility. Matt told me he was headed back to Mystic Falls, in hope that he could make it in time to say good bye to his friends, Stefan, Caroline and Tyler.

I ran as fast as I could, barely letting my feet touch the ground, when I hit the doors I started screaming for _him._

"DAMON!" I yelped, I was so afraid I'd be too late.

Happiness immediately filled inside me when I collide with Damon.

"Why are you here?" he asked, worry, relief and love filled his beautiful feature.

"I couldn't let you potentially die alone" I said, hugging him with everything I had.

"Where were you?" he asked, still shocked to see me.

"Matt kidnapped me, hoping to get away from Mystic Falls for my own safety. I was in the middle when I got the phone call about Klaus" I said, barely able to keep my emotions in check to choke out a simple sentence.

"But, Stef.." he started, I cut him off immediately.

"I choose you" I said, attempting to pour every ounce of love I could possible fit into three little words, desperately hoping he would get the meaning to it.

"But.." again, he was cut off.

"Well, isn't this just epic" Alaric spit out the words at us. "I didn't expect to see you here, Elena, it isn't safe for you." He said, matter-of-factly.

Damon was out of my embrace in mere seconds. Pinning Ric against the wall, "You won, Ric. He's dead, we're all good as dead now. Don't hurt her!"

Before my eyes could even register, Damon was on the ground with a snapped neck.

"DAMON!" I screamed through the tears.

"Your parents would be ashamed of you for the monsters you keep company with," Ric said as he picked up the stake, ready and willing to drive it through Damon's chest cavity.

"NO!" I yelled, finding the sharpest item I could around me, I picked it up and stuck it to my neck. "I will kill myself" I stated as I felt the warmth of the small trickle of blood falling from my neck.

Alaric chuckled, "Did you really think I'd fall for that for a second time." He smiled.

"No." and I sliced my neck, I watched Alaric gasp for air, just as I did. And everything went black.

I woke up with an awful pain in my neck, and the awful sound of crying. I was unaware of how long I'd been out, it felt like an eternity until the memories of Alaric and Elena in the same room as my neck was snapped came rushing back. I opened my eyes to see my lifeless best friend's body laying beside me.

"No!" I roared, "Elena!" emotion I've never felt before flooded me, she was dead.

"I'm here," I heard a small whisper, I quickly jumped to my feet. I looked around, Elena was hysterically crying as she sat, knees to her chest against the car.

"I'm dead," she said, barely able to let the words escape her mouth, and more uncontrollable crying came.

I'm fast, but I've never moved so fast as I did when I heard those words.

"What happened?" I asked, already knowing but not fully understanding the answer.

"I killed myself, Damon. I killed myself, to save you. I slit my throat, I watched Alaric fall and gasp for air, the way I did." She could barely speak, my heart was in a million pieces. "I came back though, Damon. I'm here, I woke up and you and Alaric were still lifeless but I'm not" she was almost screaming, I soon realized she wasn't able to tell me exactly what she needed to tell me.

"Who's blood did you ingest" I asked, confusion not breaking what so ever.

"I didn't, Damon. I haven't had anyone. I was ready to die, I was sacrificing myself" she cried "I never wanted this"

"Shh," I tried my damnest to console her, holding her as tightly as I could "I love you, Elena" I gazed into her eyes, the crying stop for mere seconds as I finished my sentence, "I will help you every step of the way, I promised you along time ago I was never going anywhere ever again, and I won't. I will be here, every step of the way" I promised.

"Ok," was all she said. "Why aren't you dead?" I couldn't help the chuckle that escaped my lips as she asked this absurd question.

"I can ask you the same," I gave her my signature smirk. It was no time for joking but it lightened her mood just a little. "Maybe he didn't sire my blood line, I'm not sure Elena, we should go home and figure more out."


	2. Chapter 2

I Don't Own Anything.

The ride back home was too quiet, eerily quiet. There was too much to discuss, but right not, I had too much to process to every begin with the rest of my life problems. I still was unsure if I'd transition, Damon promised I had almost 24 hours to make the decision. Though I know if he had it his way, he would have stopped at the first human we came across.

"Should we have called anyone?" I merely whispered. Still not trusting my own voice to break.

"And say what? Ric's dead and someone has some explaining to do as to why you're in transition?" he said. "That's not exactly a telephone conversation" he said sourly.

I understood why he was defensive. I killed myself to save a man who I believed was good as dead, and now I was unsure if I truly wanted this life for myself. In all honesty, I knew my decision, but I needed my brother more than anything in this moment.

We rolled to a stop in front of the Salvatore mansion.

"Breath," he reassured me, "you will have a thirst when we go inside, I can feel Jeremy in there"

My eyes began to burn with tears again, I didn't know how to face Stefan, I barely knew how to face Damon after my confession earlier this evening. But facing Jeremy would be the toughest of them all.

"Elena, please calm down" Damon looked as broken as I felt, he tried his hardest to help me as much as he could but he knew this was something he that would, in the end, be her decision. I'm sure he'd shove a blood bag down my throat if the chance arisen though.

"Okay, I'm okay," I reassured myself, more than him. "Hold my hand?" I pleaded, feeling utterly helpless.

"Of course, Elena" the sincerity in his voice cut like a knife, how could I let myself die when I had a man like this in front of me.

Damon was at my side of the car in a flash, opening the door and grasping my hand. My hearing and eye sight was magnifying. I could hear mere whispers coming from inside and noticing shades I normally wouldn't have.

As we walked through the door, we were bombarded with questions, hurtful stares and worried faces.

"What the hell happened?" Stefan said as calmly as possible not breaking eye contact with his brother.

"We don't know," Damon stated, "Sit down" he said to everyone.

When Damon finished the story, Jeremy immediately fled the room. I couldn't stop the tears from spilling, I buried myself into Damon's chest, not giving too damn's about what everyone was thinking.

"Okay, judgy eyes," Damon started as if reading my mind, "there's no need for gawking just yet"

"Please, find him, Damon" I begged.

He left without another word.

"Stefan", I began, I wasn't sure what I was supposed to say to him but I needed to at least say sorry.

"We will talk tomorrow, Elena." he said coldly. "I've had along enough night, if you don't mind"

Stefan had never talked to me so coldly, not that I didn't deserve every bit of it from him, but tonight, with everything that had happened, it hurt more than I guessed it would have.

Stefan left the room as well, leaving me with Caroline.

"Care, I'm so sorry about Tyler" I started, she cut my off as well.

"I can't, Elena" I've never seen her so broken. "I need to go home, I love you" she said hugging me, she knew the decision wasn't easy, this wasn't a life she would have choosen for herself.

I dozed off waiting for Damon to return with Jeremy.


	3. Chapter 3

I Don't Own Anything

I searched high and low for little Gilbert, I was beginning to get frustrated when I checked all the normal places he could be. I decided to return to the boarding house and make sure Elena was still okay. As I pulled into the drive, I could see Jeremy opening the front door. How he managed to get around me is beyond me. I decided I'd sneak upstairs quietly and let Elena have a moment with her bother.

My mind was still reeling from the events that took place tonight. Elena came to me, she killed herself for me, I wasn't dead despite Klaus charred body sitting in the back of the truck, and Elena would soon be the same monster I despised myself as.

I tried my damnest not to eavesdrop on the conversation happening downstairs, and it really wasn't that hard as my own mind was going a mile a minute trying to put everything together.

"Elena" Jeremy was shaking me awake, I was barely able to regain consciousness, soon realizing I didn't have 24 hours to complete this transition.

"Jeremy," It came out sounding weak, when I registered him sitting in front me, he realized how brittle I sounded.

He was walking out of the room soon after his name escaped my lips. What the hell was going on with him? Every time I tried to speak, he abruptly left the room. I tried to get up from the couch but failed quickly. I was dying, fast.

"Damon," I whispered, trying to make it come out as loudly as possible, hoping he was here with Jeremy and could here me.

Of course, quicker than I was used to, he was beside me, cradling me in his lap before I even registered I had moved.

"You're weak, Elena" he looked so pained, I so desperately wanted to make him feel better.

"Im okay," I smiled up at him.

Jeremy burst into the room, as blood filled my nostrils.

"Drink," he demanded, shoving an open blood bag in my face and confusion filled my mind.

"We never got to talk, Jer" I stated. I needed my brother and he'd left me twice now.

"Elena," he grabbed my shoulders tightly, forcing me to look dead into his eyes. "I don't give two flying fucks if you are a vampire, a werewolf or a damn fairy. I need my sister. I can not bare to lose one more person in my life" I'd never seen Jeremy so desperate, so hurt and so vulnerable.

I didn't think twice, the man I am inlove with was holding me, my little brother was all but force feeding me. I couldn't leave either of them, I'd figure out the rest later. I had eternity, right. I snatched the bag out of Jeremy's hand as quickly as I could muster.

I drank every last drop, immediately letting the blood lust take over my body. I felt completely out of control. I could see the blood pumping through Jeremy's artery in the hallow of his neck. I could smell the fear he was trying so desperately to hide.

I was a predator, he was my prey.

_No Elena, he is your brother!_ I heard a voice inside my head chanting. I didn't care.

With one quick leap, I unbound myself from Damon's arms, feeling my fangs extract for the first time, my eyes swell and veins trailing down my face. I lunged for _it's_ neck.


End file.
